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Jennifer Hillis of Gold Hill has been appointed the new Executive Director of Rotary First Harvest of Oregon.

Rotary First Harvest of Oregon:  Ending Hunger in the Land of Abundance.

   Rotary First Harvest of Oregon is a logistical, problem-solving clearing house that uses the resources and network of Rotary to recover food that might otherwise be wasted and deliver it to existing distribution networks that feed the hungry. 

   Rotary First Harvest of Oregon is the brain child of Sharon Parks, of Klamath Falls, Oregon.  Sharon, along with several Klamath Basin Rotary Clubs began a garden in 2003 at the OSU Extension Office to grow produce to get this important food group into the local area food banks.    Committed to using all the resources that already existed, they were able to help reclaim an abandoned orchard and saw the first crop harvested since 1991.  They provided a refrigerated container for food storage to the Klamath/Lake Counties Food Bank and secured 4,000 pounds of excess plums from California for distribution. 

   Rotary First Harvest of Oregon enlisted the Sheriff Department’s inmate crew to work in the garden and established a set monthly pallet delivery of potatoes to the food bank.  Through generous supporters of the project, 20 auction animals were donated which provided meat for the food bank.

   Since that vigorous beginning in 2003, Rotary First Harvest of Oregon has spread beyond the Klamath Basin to Jackson County, the Oregon Coast and Northern California and become a favorite Community Project within the Rotary District 5110 where HUNGER was identified as a separate committee for special service emphasis.  We have received grants for building a greenhouse, developing a Youth Harvest gardening project and most recently, a grant to hire the first Executive Director.

   Rotary First Harvest of Oregon is on its way to achieving the goal of making Oregon a “Food Secure” state.  Currently Oregon is ranked #43 with #50 being the most food insecure in the nation.

   Through the recovery of food that has been going to waste, either by food producers or local gardens, combined with the phenomenal ability of Rotarians statewide to solve problems, we’re confident that hunger in Oregon will become a thing of the past.

   Our goal for the next year includes expanding our base of participating Rotary Clubs who will work with us with their Community Service Project.   We are also looking to improve our ability to respond quickly when surplus food is available by expanding and adding more transportation options to our network.

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